Chapter 49:

Sharon tried to scream but the hand was pressed too hard on her mouth. She heard the door closing and suddenly, the person holding her lifted his hand from her face and released her. She turned around quickly and saw Carlos Reyes.

"You!" she sounded amazed.

"I'm sorry for dragging you like that, but I assumed you wouldn't just come in a room with me if I asked," he said calmly. Sharon squinted at him in confusion. She couldn't believe he had the guts to appear in Richard's wake with everyone looking for him.

"I'm going to arrest you," she said slowly and examined him. For her, he was one of the bad guys, although she couldn't help but notice how good looking he was. His strong jawline and warm eyes gave her confused her. She couldn't believe someone with those eyes was a bad person.

Reyes leaned against the wall nonchalantly and crossed his arms on his chest. "No, you won't," he smiled. Once again, it wasn't a mean smile, but more mischievous.

"Oh, really? How can you be so sure?" she hated how relaxed he looked in a situation like that.

"Well, you're not carrying cuffs, so you'll need to use your physical strength, which does not match mine, to drag me all the way to the entrance hall, where your detectives are," he explained calmly and Sharon arched her eyebrows. "Yes, I know they're there. Actually, I know much more about you and your squad than you can imagine."

"That's very reassuring," she said sarcastically and he smiled again as he lowered his arms.

"I've been watching the squad for a while now. Especially you."

"Trying to plan the best way to kill us all?" she asked in a tone that could have been used to talk about the weather. For some reason, she didn't feel intimidated by him.

"Kill? Why would I kill you?"

"Why? Because we brought down your cartel?"

"Thank god. I've been trying to leave it for a long time."

Sharon stared at him, not sure if she believed him or not. "From what the FBI told us, you were the founder."

"No, no, they've got it all wrong," he moved away from the wall and took a step forward, expecting Sharon to move back, but she stayed in her place. "Fifteen years ago, I really needed to make some money, to help my son go to college. I worked in construction so I couldn't afford even one year for him, and I didn't want to disappoint him."

"So you started selling drugs to kids," Sharon stated and now it was her turn to cross her arms on her chest.

"Not at all. I sold pot to some people in my boss' neighborhood. Adults. Bored housewives and such," he explained, but Sharon shook her head judgmentally. "Anyway," he continued, "I got more and more customers with time, until the whole thing got out of my hands when those two sharks took over my little business."

"You mean Nicolas Suarez and Ignacio Garcia, your two partners? The ones we brought in for questioning?"

"They're not my partners. I mean, technically they are, but I was forced into it."

"And you couldn't go to the police all those years?" she didn't like people making excuses for anything, especially crimes.

"Not if I wanted to live. But some time ago I figured I could help you people by starting some inside wars, cracking the cartel wall."

"You were the one who sent Hernandez to kill Richard, weren't you?"

"Unfortunately, no. I hated that son of a bitch. But I did mention to Garcia that the FBI was closing in on Richard, and the profession of his wife... I guess they didn't like it much."

Sharon squinted again. "This is unacceptable. I'm getting my detectives here," she walked to the door but he put his hand on it and blocked her way.

"I've been watching you ever since you started investigating the cartel," he said.

His words were supposed to threaten her, but Sharon heard something gentle in his voice. "Are you trying to scare me?" she asked in a low voice.

"No," he chuckled, "I'm trying to tell you that I really liked what I saw. You're a very good person. Almost too good."

Sharon sighed. She didn't know how to react to what he just said. "What do you want? Why are you here?"

"Let's just say… I'm your guardian angel," he said and Sharon scoffed, but he ignored it. "I know you didn't find anything important in Richard's office."

"So? You're probably happy."

"Not really. The second safe is in his apartment. Look for it. And… take this," he handed her a piece of paper and she looked at it.

"What's that?" she asked without taking it.

"The code to the safe," he said and Sharon took it quickly.

"Thank you," her voice was hesitant as she still wasn't sure if she should believe everything he told her.

"Can I go now?" he pointed at the door on the other side of the room, which led to the yard.

"I'm going to get my detectives here… but I have no way of restraining you," she said, and he understood the hidden approval in her words. He removed his hand and moved from the door so she can get out.

"You're an incredible woman," he said quietly as she opened the door. She looked at him with a sealed face for a moment before exiting the room and walking to the entrance hall.